Orange County enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code §115920-115929) and adopted Ordinance No. 19-006 requiring both primary and secondary pool barriers for all residential pools in unincorporated areas with water depth exceeding 18 inches.
Under the California Swimming Pool Safety Act and Orange County Ordinance No. 19-006, all residential swimming pools and spas with water depth greater than 18 inches require pool barriers. The primary barrier (fence or wall) must be at least 60 inches (5 feet) high with no gaps exceeding 4 inches and no more than a 2-inch gap at the bottom. Gates must open away from the pool, be self-closing, and have a self-latching mechanism at least 60 inches above grade. The secondary barrier must consist of one of: a removable mesh fence at least 20 inches from the water edge with a self-closing, self-latching, key-lockable gate; an approved safety pool cover; a pool alarm; or other means providing equal or greater protection as approved by the Building Official.
Non-compliant pool barriers may result in failure of building inspection, stop-work orders on pool projects, and code enforcement citations. Pool barrier violations are treated as safety hazards requiring immediate correction.
Midway City, CA
Midway City is an unincorporated CDP in Orange County, CA, surrounded by Westminster. Because it has no city government, Orange County Codified Ordinances Ti...
Orange County, CA
Unincorporated Orange County exempts one small detached non-habitable accessory structure - a shed - per 7,200 square feet of building site area from accesso...
Orange County, CA
Carports in unincorporated Orange County are governed by Section 7-9-70.3(d) of the Codified Ordinances, which requires carports to comply with main-building...
Orange County, CA
Unincorporated Orange County allows the conversion of an existing garage, carport, or accessory structure into an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) under Section...
Orange County, CA
Unincorporated Orange County requires every pool/spa deeper than 18 inches to be enclosed by a barrier at least 60 inches (5 ft) high under California Health...
Orange County, CA
Unincorporated Orange County allows ADUs on any residentially zoned lot under OC Zoning Code (Title 7, Division 9) and California Government Code §65852.2 (A...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Orange County.
See how other cities in Orange County handle pool barriers.
See how Midway City's pool barriers rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.